Improvement in shirts



A L. EDWARDS.

Shirt.

No. 195,992. Patnted Oct. 9, 1877.

N.FETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ALFRED L. EDWARDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,992, dated October 9, 1877; application filed February 26, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. EDWARDS, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have'invented certain Improvements in Mens Shirts, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in providing a woolen shirt with a neck-band, bosom, and ends to its sleeves, all made of linen or cotton, and detachable fiom the shirt; and in providing the detachable neck-band with a skirt of the same material, to assist in concealing the woolen body.

Figure l is a front view of a woolen shirt made on my plan, with the parts arranged as m use. Fig. 2 represents the false bosom detached. Fig. 3 represents the detachable neckband and cape.

It is often desirable to .wear woolen shirts; but as generally constructed this cannot be done without exposing portions of them to view, which is objectionable.

To remedy this, I make the body A of the shirt and the sleeves B of woolen material, and the neck-band E, together with the lower portion 0 of the sleeves, I make of cotton or linen, as represented in Fig. 1.

It will be noticed that the cotton or linen portions of the sleeves include not only the wristbands or cuffs, but also a considerable portion of the sleeve proper. Merely making the cuff-bands of linen or cotton will not answer the required end perfectly, as in such case the woolen will be occasionally exposed to view; but by carrying the white portion up above the band, as shown, it is caused to fill the coat-sleeve of the wearer andeffectually conceal the woolen sleeves at all times.

In order to enable the cotton or linen portions to be washed separately from the woolen, and to be changed at will, I make them detachable, the portions O of the sleeves being so made that they can be buttoned or otherwise secured to the sleeves B, or detached therefrom, at will, as shown in Fig.1. In like manner the neck-band E is buttoned to the body A, so it can be removed and replaced whenever desired, the object being to enable the woolen part and the linen or cotton portions to be washed separately, as it is well known that woolen goods require very different treatment in washing from cotton or linen. As the neck-band and lower portion of the sleeves are the parts that are most liable to become soiled by this plan of construction, they can be changed as often as desired, independent of the woolen part.

In order the more eflectually to conceal the woolen portion about the neck where exposed to view, I propose to make the neck-band E with a skirt, I, as shown in Fig. 3, so that when the band is secured to the shirt this skirt I may extend down a short distance within the body A, as represented in Fig. 1, so that when the wearer leans forward this skirt I will hide the woolen portion around the neck from view; or, if preferred, the neck-baud may be applied with skirt I on the outside; or the skirt I may be made double, one fold being placed inside and the other outside of the woolen portion, so as to hide the woolen part from view, both inside and out, around the neck.

A false or detachable bosom, D, is to be used to hide the front, as represented in Fig. 1.

To enable the shirt to be put on and taken off without the necessity of pulling it over the head-a most awkward and inconvenient practice, especially when the body is wet with perspiration-I make the body A with an opening extending from top to bottom, as represented in Fig. 2. This opening, as shown in the drawings, I make, not at the center, but toward one side, so that it can be opened or closed and put on or taken off without removing the bosom D, the opening coming, preferably, just under one edge of the bosom, which is thereby made to hide the opening, and at the same time prevents the wind or cold air from entering as readily as it otherwise might, which in the case of invalids, for whom this style of shirt is especially adapted, is very important.

In this way woolen shirts may be made of thinner material for summer wear and thicker for winter, and, by the use of the detachable portions, be made to have the same appearance at all times, and thus I provide a woolen garment to be worn at all seasons of the year, which, in our variable climate, is highly desirable.

While I have described my invention as specially adapted to woolen shirts, it is obvious that the same may be applied to and used with shirts made of eotton or linen with more or less advantage. The opening); from top to bottom is of equal advantage when applied to the latter; and in like manner the detaehable portions may be used with eotton or woolen shirts also, as by that plan the portions most likely to be soiled ean be ehanged at any time with out changing the body of the garment, and without waiting to undress. as is often desirable.

The bosoln 1), being seeured at the top by two or more buttons, and by one at the eenter below, is held seeurely in position, and at the same time can be removed and replaeed in a moment. This plan of tastening it together, with the side opening to the body A, enables the wearer to put the shirt on and take it ofi' without removing: or run1pling: the bosom.

Having thus deseribed my invention, what I elailn is- V 1. A woolen shirt having a detaehable linen or cotton neck-band, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The detaehable neck-band E, provided with the skirt 1, as and for the purpose de seribed.

.5. A woolen shirt having the lower ends of its sleeves and the wristbands made of linen or eotton, as shown.

4. A woolen shirt having the lower ends of its sleeves and the wristbands made of linen or eotton, and detachable, as shown and described.

5. The woolen shirt provided with the detaehable boso1n I), detachable neck-band E, and detaehable sleeve ends 0, said parts being made of linen or cotton, as shown and described.

ALFRED L. EDWARDS.

\Vitnesses:

EnwAnn B. MERRILL, (ino. l). PHELPS. 

